Volume 6: The Meeting of Two Heroes, Chapter 38: Athens Visits

Lysias's gaze fixed on a fleet of about a dozen warships cruising into view ahead. Behind the fleet, two massive white breakwaters were faintly visible, stretching out from either side of the coast like arms, as if trying to hold back the Crati River as it flowed into the sea.

"Thurii now is a completely different Thurii..." he murmured.

At last, the passenger ship from Athens docked at the port.

Isocrates, based on the information he had gathered about the Daonian alliance, had speculated that since Thurii's port was not located near the famous trade routes of the eastern and western Mediterranean, and the city itself lacked a naturally excellent harbor, maritime trade would probably not be very good. But what he saw shattered his assumptions.

Although it was not as bustling as the port of Piraeus, it exceeded his imagination. In particular, he was struck by the large wooden hoists erected on each dock. Under the operation of a few laborers, they could effortlessly lift heavy cargo—which would have normally required a dozen strong men to carry—from the merchant ships and transfer it to the dock.

Isocrates, a man from Athens—a city flourishing in maritime trade—immediately realized that if such a device could be used in Piraeus, the unloading capacity for merchant ships at the docks could be greatly improved!

So he moved closer to examine the device's detailed structure, but the hoist operator rudely warned him not to approach, or the patrol would detain him.

Isocrates retreated in chagrin.

Meanwhile, a few burly men appeared before Lysias. The leader wore a fawning smile and said, "Hi, there! I'm Sperion, a porter at the port. This is my number. Do you have anything you need us to carry?" As he spoke, he showed Lysias a small round iron tag pinned to his chest.

Lysias, who had not returned to Thurii in decades, was curious enough to lean in for a closer look. The dark iron tag bore an image of a balance scale, with a string of strange symbols beneath it.

"What is this for?" he asked, pointing at the tag.

Sperion replied with a hint of pride: "It proves I'm a registered porter with the Port Authority. If something happens to the cargo during transport, such as damage or loss, you can lodge a complaint with the Port Authority using this number. After verifying the situation, they will punish me and compensate you for your loss, so you can rest assured."

"This is a number?" Lysias exclaimed in surprise, pointing at the strange symbols.

"Of course, it's not Greek numerals." Sperion was happy to show off his superiority to this elderly man who seemed like a scholar. "These are numerals invented by our magistrate, Davos. They're easy to remember and use. They're used everywhere in Daonia. The number engraved here is 2410. Got it?"

Lysias nodded, but his mind was churning. Not because of the strange numerals—he was not a mathematician and was not particularly sensitive to them. He was astonished by Thurii's port management. The fact that even the most common and lowliest laborers in the port—the porters—were managed in such a meticulous manner showed Daonia's ability to govern its cities. Even Athens did not have such measures to regulate the chaotic labor market at Piraeus. And based on this numbering system, the worldly Lysias could sense that the port of Thurii was busier than what appeared at first glance.

*Daonia's rise in such a short time was no accident!* Lysias warned himself internally, then calmly reminded him: "I'll hire you to move the cargo, but there are a lot of pottery items among them. Please be careful!"

"Don't worry, I've lost count of how many times I've transported pottery jars and such." Sperion gave his assurance while negotiating the price with the Athenian delegation's attendants.

By then, Isocrates had returned.

Sperion and his men loaded the cargo onto carts with wooden wheels and led the Athenian delegation out of the crowded docks and onto the harbor road.

Isocrates was amazed that this road was even wider and smoother than the road from Piraeus to Athens. He also noticed the drains, pedestrian paths, and other facilities flanking it, all indicating Daonia's meticulous attention to road construction.

This made Isocrates a bit disheartened: it seemed that Athenians could not match this, as they spent more of their energy on political participation, court proceedings, and other city-state affairs.

He could not help but crouch down, stretch out his hand, and touch the grayish-white substance that tightly sealed the gaps between the stones. He knocked on it, and it felt quite hard.

"Isocrates, are you planning to change careers and become an architect?" Lysias, knowing why he did this, could not resist making a joke.

"Is this your first time in Daonia?" Sperion was not surprised by his action but rather said with self-satisfaction: "On Daonian territory, roads like this are everywhere. This one is just wider. Because the number of merchant ships coming to Thurii increases every year, this road has been rebuilt many times. Many nearby warehouses and single-story houses have been demolished, but it still seems a bit narrow."

*And you think this is still narrow?!* Lysias was speechless.

Since most of the traffic on this road consisted of horse-drawn wagons, and pedestrians mostly walked along the sides, Sperion had to remind them: "Please step aside to the roadside and wait a moment. I'll go get the cart. But I should tell you in advance: the price I quoted earlier was only for transporting the goods. The city of Thurii is more than ten *li* from the port. If you choose to walk, we'll deliver the goods to the city gate and wait for you there. If you choose to ride with me, you'll need to pay a little extra for the fare."

Sperion was shrewd, but Lysias was no fool either. Although he was a man of letters, he had made a living in Athens by writing legal speeches for hire, and his life was relatively frugal. He was familiar with the cost of everyday items. "Aren't there dedicated carriages to take people around here?"

"Of course there are, and many of them." Sperion answered honestly. "Once you exit the port, you'll find carriages specially for passengers. They're more comfortable than my cart, but the price is higher. I'm just giving you a ride along the way, collecting just a small fee for the trouble."

For wealthy Athenians, money was not a problem. However, Isocrates was clearly a bit tired and did not want the hassle, but he still reminded him: "There are five of us. Can your cart fit us all?"

"Don't worry." Sperion was not lying. Soon, he brought two carts over.

While Sperion and his men carefully loaded the goods onto the carts, Lysias could not help asking, "Did you rent these carts?"

"No, they're mine." Sperion emphasized the word "mine" and said proudly, "As a preparatory citizen, I can apply for a loan from the Cheiristoya Bank. The loan and interest for one cart have already been paid off, and the other one is almost done."

Soon, the two carts started moving.

Sperion sat with Isocrates and Lysias on the first cart. This cargo cart had no canopy, offering an unobstructed view of the harbor road and its surroundings, which suited Isocrates perfectly. He noticed that although there were many wagons and carts on the road, they followed a certain rule of movement, so despite the numbers, there was no chaos. Even when a problem caused congestion, a patrol would quickly arrive to clear it up...

Lysias, on the other hand, focused more on the cargo carts and pack horses, all of which were pulled by horses. In Lysias's memory, Thurii was not a city-state known for horse breeding, yet he saw such a large number of horses at the port. So he asked, "What is the price of horses here?"

"A mare costs thirty drachmas, a stallion twenty-two drachmas."

"How can they be so cheap?!" Lysias was startled.

"Originally, the price of horses in Thurii was more than double that. But ever since the Bruttians joined Daonia, in the past few years they have been supplying a large number of pack horses to the Thurii market, so the price naturally dropped." Sperion patted the rump of the pack horse as he spoke, and the horse let out a gentle whinny. He said smugly, "The Bruttian horse is a good horse—strong, enduring, and with a good temper. Even the Rhegians have started coming here to buy horses now. I reckon the price will go up again later..."

As Sperion spoke, the cart had reached the exit of the port, where they had to wait for the sentry at the checkpoint to inspect them before they could pass.

Originally, when Isocrates's ship entered the mouth of the Crati River, if they had simply identified themselves to the patrol boat as Athenian envoys, they would not have needed to enter the port at all. The patrol boat would have led them directly to the city docks inside Thurii, straight to the Daonian Senate. But Isocrates had other considerations and did not do that.

Now, as he looked up at the towering city wall rising in front of the cart, firmly encircling the vast port, he could not help but sigh. In the past, when Athens was powerful, they too had used walls to protect Piraeus, which brought endless wealth to Athens, and connected it all the way to the city. Unfortunately, after losing the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans forced the Athenians to tear down the walls. As a result, now that Athens was allied with Thebes against Sparta, the people were constantly anxious, fearing that the Spartans might break through the Isthmus. Then Piraeus, completely undefended, would be like a piece of fat in the mouth of a hungry wolf. The Assembly had proposed rebuilding the walls several times, but it was a massive project. With Athens fully committed to the war, it was certainly full of difficulties. In the end, the proposals were shelved due to endless disputes.

*Only when the walls of Piraeus are rebuilt will Athens rise again!* Isocrates had a profound understanding of this.